Page 51 of Endless

“Five till the headstone,” Drey said, his voice tight.

I swallowed through the lump forming in my throat. Mom was gone. Actually gone. She’d been absent most of my life, considering her junkie status, but I could at least see her walking the streets sometimes. Then there were the attempts at sobriety.

Felt like a fifty-pound weight fell on my chest. Mom was gone. Dead. I missed her funeral. I’d misseda lot.

Walker had taken so much from this family. I rubbed my wrist where I knew his gang symbol branded my skin. If I could rip that flesh off, I would. My eyes stung, and I felt the warmth of tears spilling over my lids.

Tears for a lot of things. The shit I’d done running with that stupid gang. The people I’d hurt. The pain I’d caused.

A hand grasped my shoulder, and that turned on the tears even more. Drey didn’t say anything, just stood by me like the solid foundation he was. I wouldn’t ever be able to be that, would I?

“Is it over? For me. Since Walker’s in jail?”

“Not sure on the gang-leader-in-jail handbook.” He let out a long breath. “Bill says you should be fine.”

“Saw Scott at the pizza joint that night I left the hospital.”

“You went for pizza? Shit, Damon. You—”

“Suck it, Drey. Needed it.” I swiped my hand beneath my eyes. “What’d Bill say?”

“Walker’s in jail, but that doesn’t completely cripple him. There’s always a second in command,” Drey said. “Things will continue. Scott still in it?”

“Yeah.”

“You guys were buddies, right? Maybe he’ll be checking on you.”

“Someone will be, whether we know it or not. But I’m worried about Lizzie. And you guys. You and Sarah. Family isn’t off-limits, you know. And with Walker’s infatuation with you, it’s a regular bromance right there.”

“What do you know about it?”

“Nothing, other than he was fixated on you. At your club, watching you and Sarah.” I tilted my head in his direction. “She was really a sex slave, huh?”

“Escaped and came here. The guy’s in jail.”

“But he was working with Walker.”

“Earning favor. At least that’s what Marshal says. Turning in his prize moneymaker earned him some reputation points.”

“He’s gonna be pissed he can’t use them from jail.”

“Who says he can’t? Or won’t?”

“Shit.” I tapped the ground with Mr. Magic.

The warm air swarmed around me, and it held a hint of perfume.

“It’s May, right? Things blooming?” I inhaled deeply.

“Yep.”

“You and Sarah. Married. Shit I missed that, too.”

“We’ll have another party at the house. Maybe in a couple weeks. How ’bout that? We married up north with a JOP, so nobody was there.” He smacked my shoulder. “You can bring Lizzie.”

I smiled.

“What’s going on there?”

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